Free Rein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Free Rein
Genre	Drama
Created by	Vicki Lutas Anna McCleery
Starring	Jaylen Barron Freddy Carter Navia Robinson Charlotte Jordan Kerry Ingram Manpreet Bambra Bruce Herbelin-Earle Céline Buckens Caroline Ford Carla Woodcock Martin Bobb-Semple Joe Ashman Sadie Simm Seth Carr Sanchaez-Rain Li-Brown
Opening theme	"No Matter" by Basic Tape versus Frances
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	32
Production
Executive producer(s)	Rebecca Hodgson Kate Little Claire Poyser
Production location(s)	United Kingdom
Running time	25–33 minutes 60 minutes (special episodes)
Production company(s)	Lime Pictures Netflix
Release
Original network	Netflix
Picture format	4K (UHDTV)
Original release	23 June 2017 (2017-06-23) – 6 July 2019 (2019-07-06)

Free Rein is a British TV show about drama and horses. It was created by Vicki Lutas and Anna McCleery. The show stars Jaylen Barron, Navia Robinson (in seasons 1-2), and Freddy Carter.

The series was made in the UK by Lime Pictures. The first season had ten episodes and started on Netflix on June 23, 2017. The story takes place on a fictional island off the coast of England, which is based on Anglesey, Wales.

The second season came out on July 6, 2018. After that, Free Rein was renewed for a third season and two special movies. The first movie, Free Rein: The 12 Neighs of Christmas, premiered on December 7, 2018. The second special, Free Rein: Valentine’s Day, came out on February 1, 2019. The third season, with 10 episodes, premiered on July 6, 2019. The show officially ended in January 2021.

Meet the Main Characters

This section introduces the main actors and the characters they play in the show.

Zoe Phillips

• Jaylen Barron plays Zoe Phillips. She is a 15-year-old girl from Los Angeles, USA. Zoe spends a summer in her mother's hometown in England. There, she forms a special bond with a wild horse named Raven. Zoe quickly becomes friends with Jade and Becky when she arrives at Bright Fields stables.

Peter "Pin" Hawthorne

• Freddy Carter plays Peter "Pin" Hawthorne. He works at the stables and is Ted's son. In the second season, Pin discovers he is a duke and inherits a lot of money. He uses this money to buy Raven and Bright Fields Stables. Pin has his own horse named Elvis.

Rosie Phillips

• Navia Robinson plays Rosie Phillips. She is Zoe's younger sister. Rosie finds it hard to get used to England and life at the stables at first. She becomes good friends with Ben. Rosie goes back to Los Angeles with her mom, Maggie, at the end of season two. (She appears in seasons 1–2).

Jade Gill

• Manpreet Bambra plays Jade Gill. She is Zoe and Becky's best friend and rides at Bright Fields. In season three, Jade gets a special letter from David Attenborough for her successful horse project.

Rebecca "Becky" Sidebottom

• Kerry Ingram plays Rebecca "Becky" Sidebottom. She is Zoe and Jade's best friend and also rides at Bright Fields. Becky is Ben's older sister and works part-time at The Barley Bag Cafe. She and her brother own a black and white Pinto Gypsy horse named Bob. In season three, Becky starts a horse club called The Breakfast Club. This club includes Aaron, Winnie, and Heather. She receives a medal for helping keep the wild horses safe.

Marcus Greenbridge

• Bruce Herbelin-Earle plays Marcus Greenbridge. He is a popular rider and trainer at Bright Fields and is Sam's cousin. At the end of season one, Marcus is accepted into an academy, being the only one from the island to go. However, he later leaves the academy. In season three, he earns his qualification to be a trainer. Marcus and Mia have a romantic history and start a relationship in the third season.

Amelia "Mia" MacDonald

• Céline Buckens plays Amelia "Mia" MacDonald. Her father helped Bright Fields financially in seasons one and two. Mia and Zoe don't get along at first, but they become friends after episode nine. Mia owns a horse named Firefly. In the third season, Mia falls from Firefly and becomes very scared around horses. Later, she finds out her father dumped waste in the lake, which made people and wild horses sick. Mia and Marcus have a romantic history and start a relationship in the third season.

Margaret "Maggie" Steel-Phillips

• Natalie Gumede plays Margaret "Maggie" Steel-Phillips. She is Zoe and Rosie's mother. Maggie used to be a rider and had a horse named Emerald when she was a child. Maggie initially didn't want Zoe to ride. Eventually, she started riding again to accept Zoe's passion for horses. She returns to Los Angeles with Rosie at the end of season two. (She appears in seasons 1–2).

Samantha "Sam" Myers

• Caroline Ford plays Samantha "Sam" Myers. She is the owner of Bright Fields and one of the trainers. Sam is Marcus's cousin. However, it is later revealed that she was working with horse thieves who tried to steal Raven. (She appears in season 1).

Elliot MacDonald

• Noah Huntley (seasons 1–2) and Andrew Steele (season 3) play Elliot MacDonald. He is Mia's rich but often absent father. Elliot is a childhood friend of Maggie and encourages her to ride again. In the third season, Elliot goes to prison for dumping waste in the lake.

Francis "Frank" Steel

• Geoffrey McGivern plays Francis "Frank" Steel. He is Maggie's father and Zoe and Rosie's grandfather. In Free Rein: Twelve Neighs of Christmas, it is revealed that Frank has a long-lost brother, Owen, whom Zoe helps him reunite with.

Susie Garrett

• Carla Woodcock plays Susie Garrett. She is Mia's best friend, though Mia often tells her what to do. In season two, Susie starts dating Callum, a rider from Holloway, but later finds out he tried to cheat on her with Mia. In the third season, Susie works at the council offices.

Gaby Grant

• Charlotte Jordan plays Gaby Grant. She is James's sister. In Free Rein: 12 Neighs of Christmas, it is revealed that Gaby is homeless. Zoe finds out and asks Gaby to move in with her. In the third season, Gaby forms a bond with a wild horse named Ariel but lets her stay free. Gaby earns a spot on the Under 18s Riding Team after Callum is disqualified. (She appears in seasons 2–3).

Alex

• Martin Bobb-Semple plays Alex. He is a rider at Holloway and Becky's love interest. (He appears in seasons 2–3).

Callum

• Joe Ashman plays Callum. He is Susie's ex-boyfriend and is known as the "bad boy" from the rival riding school. Susie broke up with him after Mia revealed he tried to cheat on her. In the third season, Callum helps Elliot dump waste in the local lake in exchange for a spot on the Under 18s Riding Team. (He appears in seasons 2–3).

Winnie

• Sadie Simm plays Winnie. She helps Becky at Bright Fields and is part of The Breakfast Club. (She appears in season 3).

Aaron Phillips

• Seth Carr plays Aaron Phillips. He is Zoe's cousin, visiting from Los Angeles, and is part of The Breakfast Club. (He appears in season 3).

Heather Wright

• Sanchaez-Rain Li-Brown plays Heather Wright. She is Claire's daughter and is part of The Breakfast Club. Heather owns a horse named Princess. (She appears in season 3).

Supporting Characters

These characters appear in the show but are not the main focus.

• Billy Angel as Benjamin "Ben" Sidebottom: Becky's younger brother, who becomes friends with Rosie. (series 1–2)
• Milo Twomey as Edward "Ted" Hawthorne: Pin's father, who has a past with Maggie. He buried her horse, Emerald, when it died. Ted wants Pin to stay away from Zoe, thinking she will hurt him.
• Holly Hayes as Meredith Moore: Raven's previous owner. It's revealed in season one that Raven was stolen from Meredith as a foal. When Meredith tries to take Raven home, he refuses to leave Bright Fields. Zoe talks to Meredith, and she agrees to let Raven stay at Bright Fields. At the end of season two, Pin buys Raven from her as a gift for Zoe. (series 1–2)
• Ryan Sands as Huck Phillips: Zoe and Rosie's father, Maggie's husband, and Frank's son-in-law. (series 1–2)
• Paul Luebke as Derek Wrigley: A police officer who visits the stables sometimes and had a crush on Sam. (series 1)
• Tom Forbes as James: The former trainer at Bright Fields and now the trainer at the rival riding school, Holloway. (series 2)
• T'Nia Miller as Claire Wright: The new mayor of the island. Claire initially wants to capture the wild horses. However, after Jade confronts her during a livestream, Claire is convinced to protect them. (series 3)
• Joe Sims as Geoff: Claire's bodyguard and assistant. (series 3)
• Anna Passey as Felicity: A rider who tests Marcus for his instructor qualification. She later judges the tryouts for the Under 18s Riding Team. (series 3)
• Paul Antony-Barber as Arthur: The butler at the castle owned by the Hawthorne family. (series 3)

Series Overview

The show Free Rein has three main seasons and two special episodes.

Season 1 (2017) Highlights

The first season introduces Zoe, who finds a special connection with a wild horse named Raven. She learns about her family's past with horses and tries to protect Raven from thieves. The season ends with a big competition and the reveal of who was helping the horse thief.

Season 2 (2018–2019) Highlights

In the second season, Bright Fields faces a rival riding school. Pin discovers a big secret about his family. Zoe and her friends go on new adventures, including a jousting match and a road trip. They also uncover old family secrets and deal with challenges like a fire at the stables. Two special episodes were released during this time: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas and Valentine’s Day, which involve holiday fun and a quest for a fabled stone.

Season 3 (2019) Highlights

The third season brings Zoe's cousin, Aaron, to the island. A new mayor, Claire, arrives and initially wants to capture the wild horses. Mia faces a new challenge after an accident with her horse. The friends work together to protect the wild horses, especially after discovering that waste dumped in the lake is making people and horses sick. The season ends with a big reveal about who is responsible for the pollution and how the friends work together to save the day. Many characters achieve their goals, and Zoe considers a new opportunity.

Awards and Recognition

Free Rein has won several awards for its storytelling and direction.